MYSTERY OBJECTS

[PanBiker]

It's at Bancroft but I can't remember what it stored other than I reckon it was bit obnoxious. Am I in the parish?

[Tizer]

Is Cominic Dummings living in it?

[PanBiker]

It's not Barnard Castle.

[Stanley]

I think I have to give it to Ian. It's one of the old oil storage tanks at Bancroft. No longer in use it was for linseed oil or whale oil, both of them vital to the running of a weaving shed. It was in the old brick air raid shelter outside the mill together with the dirty sweeps from the shed. These had to be stored outside the mill as, being contaminated with linseed oil they were prone to spontaneous combustion and I think that's the 'obnoxious' bit he refers to.
Next one anyone?

[Stanley]

What and where?

[Gloria]

No idea, just a guess, is it under a mill chimney somewhere?

[Stanley]

Good guess Gloria! Which one?

[Gloria]

Ooooh, Bancroft? Or one over Rochdale way?

[Stanley]

I know it's not a good quality pic Gloria, done under lousy conditions but look at the clues... Waist deep flue dust and multiple flues. Now start thinking.

[chinatyke]

Schwabbs, Middleton?

[Gloria]

Bolton, Little John?

[Stanley]

Sorry Gloria, China got in there with the answer. Simon Schwab stack at Middleton. The pic was in the flues when we inspected them hoping to dissuade Robert from buying it, they were terrible as you can see and it worked!



Rhodes in 1970. It was a quite exceptional chimney.

Next one?

[Stanley]

Rhodes chimney in 1979 just after the start of demolition. You get a good idea of how it dominated the landscape. Middleton sits in a river bottom that extends all the way into Manchester and is bad holding ground all the way. There were no erections higher than three stories apart from Schwab's chimney.



The base of Ellenroad chimney in 1989 when we were rebuilding the flue box at the base after putting a new top on the stack. The question is, what is the reason for the circular construction at the base of the chimney? That's the mystery object.

[Cathy]

Probably a silly answer but is it a water tank?

[chinatyke]

At Loveclough printworks the flue gases went through a scrubber which circulated caustic liquors from kier boiling, part of the bleaching process. This helped absorb acidic gases, remove solids, and also neutralise the spent kier liquor before discharge to the effluent system.
But I'm guessing this is a cyclone arrangement for removing solid dust particles.

[Stanley]

Not silly at all Cathy, but no, not a water tank.
And no China, not a gas cleaner.

[Gloria]

Create a venturi effect?

[Stanley]

Sorry, no Gloria. Clue, it has no connection with the flue gases or the flue itself. Much more basic than that.

[chinatyke]

Create a venturi effect?

I do that with the water circulating in my fish pond! As it returns from the filter it goes through a venturi which sucks in air to oxygenate the water.

[chinatyke]

Back to the mystery.
Is it extra support to spread the load because the ground was unstable?

[Stanley]

No but there is a connection there China. You're in the right area but not yet on the money.

[Stanley]

You've put me in a quandary. China is so close. The round structure is not part of the foundation but is connected. Think about what I said about bearing ground and Schwab's chimney. If you don't get it today I'll come clean.
If it's any consolation the locals were arguing about it for years. We didn't find the truth until we repaired it.

[chinatyke]

Does it just act as a weight to damp out any tendency of the chimney to sway? Miles above my pay-grade!

[Stanley]

Ingenious China but no. I promise I will end the torture at dinner time if nobody has got it.

[Gloria]

Was it added because the chimney was so near the road?